Employee&#39;s train time-card.



E. J. HARDY.

EMPLOYEES TRAIN TIME GARD.v

ABPLIGATION FILED UG.25. 1911.

\ Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

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mRNEI/s COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPHD WASHINOTO. D. C.

E. J. HARDY.4

EMPLOYEES TRAIN TIME GARD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25. 1911.

1,043,696. Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

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Sur'rl'nunlnf. CONDMCTDR AND ENSNEMAN MUST EACH HVECDV IF THIS RDER. Y

WITNESSES IIWENTOR Br I Ano/,Mfrs

coLuMmA PLANOGRAPH c0..wAsH1Nu'roN. D. c.

UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE, Y

EDWARD JUDGE HARDY, OFLYLE, WASHINGTON, ASSJGrNOR` Q F ONE-HALF TO FRANKR. WALKER OF LYLE, WASHINGTON.

EMPLOYEES TRAIN TIME-CARD.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. HARDY, a citizen ot the United States, anda resident oit Lyle, in the county of Klickitat and State et Washington,have invented a new andv Improved Employees Train Time-Card, of whichthe Jfollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved employeestrain time card through the use of which the movements of the regulartrains (passenger and freight), and extra or irregular trains arecontrolled without requiring a large amount ot calculating work on thepart ot the `train despatcher, and issuing, despatching and repeatingmany worded or lengthly train orders, at the same time insuring a highdegree ot safety in the running of all trains.

The method consists essentially in the laying out of graduated scales otmaximum speed rates for all extra trains to be run during a day or othergiven period, providing such scales with a heading and transmittingtrain orders under the corresponding headings to the persons in chargeof the extra trains.

The means employed for carrying the method into effect consistsessentially in an employees timetable or schedule and a train order, andof which the schedule is to be used by the employees, and containsbesides the running time of the regular trains, a graduated scale ofmaximum speedrates to govern the running of extra or irregular trains,such graduated scales being headed by symbols to permit. of designatingthe graduated scale in al train order by the symbol` heading.

A practicall embodiment oi the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings orming a part ot this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figurezl is a faceviewV of' the timetable or 4 schedule provided withthe graduated scales outl maximum speed ratesA 'and` their symbolheadings; and F ig. 2 isa `tace view ot'Y a train order according to theimproved method.

In controlling the movements of railway trains, it is the practice,under present methods, now and hitherto in general use on railroads inthis country, to direct the movements of all irregular passenger andfreight Specification of Letterslatent.

Application led August 25, 1911.

Patented Nov. 5,1912.

Serial No. 645,992.

trains, technically called extra trains, solely by special instructionstransmitted4 by telegraph or telephone on a prescribed form of trainorder, addressed to the persons in charge of such irregular trains, suchtrains not being included in the regular oiiicial timetable issued Yforthe guidance of employees and containing rules and instructionsgoverning the movements ot all regular trains, the running time rightsof move ment as. against other regular trains, accordingto class,direction of movement, etc., and designating the meeting and passingtime with other regular trains at certain points. when on time. Underthe present standard system as now practised on all important railroadsin this country, all irrew gular or socall'ed extra passenger trains andall extra tast freight trains are moved and governed solely by thespecial form ot runningv order, termed a schedule train order, accordingto` the form prescribed, and transmitted by wire byV the traindespatcher in charge, who with only a. few minutesat his disposal forthe purpose hastily computes the time ot such fast trains over hisdivision, makes up a schedule train order, specifying the time suchtrain is due. at all'stations and sidings, and designates therein thepoints at which such trains shall meet or pass other trains of the sameclass, or arrangesthe meeting and passing points to avoid any delays,usually giving such train the rights of a first class train, havingprecedence over trains of a lower class. In such a case, trains ot alower class take sidings and keep `clear otl thetime ot such extra fast.trains. at points where they are due to meet or pass such extra trains-Under the present system, such an order is made substantially to readras follows: Order No. 100.` To conductor, and

engineer on Enginev 1240, Portland. Engine 1240 willrun extra Portlandto Washington, as follows.: with right over all. except ilrst classtrains; Leave Portland at ten olclock (10.00 A. (withv time specifiedhere whereextra trainis due-at allintermediate stationsandsidings')arriving at lashington at ten oclock (10.00 P. M.) Such order is issuedover the initialsV ofV the superintendent or proper ofiicial, to besignedby the conductor and repeated to the despatcher and duly indorsedas correct and complete by him. This order is. transmitted to all oftime, transmission, repetition, repetition and completion, underfavorable circumstances and conditions, for each extra train so statedfrom a terminal on a schedule order. Such an order contains on anaverage from one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five words, andrequires from four to six or more repetitions, thus requiring` the rapidtransmission of from three hundred to six hundred words` with perfectaccuracy for each order. Three to six schedule orders on a division intwentyfour hours, where traffic is heavy and congested, or delays,caused by blockades, wrecks, engine failures or unfavorable weatherconditions are not unusual, and from two to four hours of thedespatchers time is taken up by the schedule orders alone, which is asevere strain on that official and frequently results in delays totrains in waiting for orders.

With my improved method and means presently to be described in detail,the person in charge of an extra train receives a direction which whencarried out by such a person insures the proper running of t-he usualand extra trains without interference of one with the other.

As shown in Fig. 1,. the employees timetable A is provided with a columnB containing the names of the stations between two points, and adjacentthe station column B are arranged columns C, C indicating the distancein miles from certain stations in the present instance, from Spokane andfrom Portland, and next to the column C is arranged a column Dindicating the car capacity of sidings at the different stationsmentioned in the column D. Adjacent the column C is a column Eindicating information as to water, coal, wyes, turntables and scales.The timetable A is further provided with the usual column F indicatingthe time of the various regular trains between the end stations and thestations along 'the line, the said time columns F being headed byheadings G indicating the name of the train, whether passenger, freight,second class or third class, east bound or west bound, or north bound orsouth bound, as the case may be. The timetable A is further providedwith time columns H indicating the time for extra trains to be run overthe line, the time being given for the end stations as well as for allintermediate stations along the line. The columns H are headed Symbol A,Symbol B, Symbol C, Symbol D, Symbol E, etc., and the columns with theirheadings are arranged in conjunction with the column F for thecorresponding trains, that is, trains of the first class, second classor third class. Thus, as shown in Fig. l, symbol A indicates a firstclass passenger train, west bound, to leave at 2.30 a. 1n. and arrive at4.29 a. 1n. with stops at the various stations according to the timespecified for such stations; symbol B indicates a second class train;symbol C indicates a first class train; symbol D indicates a secondclass train; symbol E indicates a third class train, as will be readilyunderstood by reference to Fig. l. Now when it is desired to run any oneof the five extra trains given on the timetable A, it is only necessaryfor the train despatcher to send a symbol message to the persons incharge of the extra train: for instance, if it is desired to run anextra train, symbol A, the train despatcher sends a train order, shownin Fig. 2, the order reading Eng. 1241-0 run extra Pasco to Cliffs withrights over all except first-class trains on symbol A time. Therecipient of the order refers to the column headed by symbol A and runshis train according to the time indicated in said column.

Under the present method of handling traflic in the divisions of arailroad, the schedules for the trains are so formulated that all trainswhen arriving late, at one end of a division, may be able to make up thelost time while running in that particular division. The schedules soformulated are the minimum speed rates on the division, and that theyare so fornmlated is due to the fact that every division superintendentdesires the trains to run on time over his district as far as possible.The regular schedules G, (Fig. l), are minimum speed rates so that, forinstance, should a train, say train No. 3, drawn by engine 1240, arriveat Pasco, one terminal of the division, forty minutes late, being thenable leave for Cliffs, the other divisional terminal, at 2.30 a. m.instead of 1.50 a. m., the despatcher would not run this train fortyminutes late from Pasco te Cliffs, but would arrange .a new schedule,directing the train to run forty minutes late from Pasco to Finley;thirty minutes late from Finley to Yellepit; twenty .minutes late fromYellepit to Colbia, and so on until the train gradually regains itsregular schedule. This despatching is done in order to keep inferiortrains moving against late No. 3 train, and necessitates a great deal oftime and work, with danger present in each copy and additional figure,whereas with my improved system, a despatcher could send the trainalong, with a great saving of time and work and decrease the danger byordering the train to proceed from Pasco to Cliffs under Symbol Athrough the medium of the simple train order shown in Fig. 2, copies ofwhich are of course also sentto inferior trains likely to be affectedbyesuch an order. Thus the train proceeds to Cliffs under a maximumspeed rate andmakes up the forty minutes before leaving the division.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by the arrangement described itis notnecessary for the train despatcher toy mention in the order thefull schedule time for this particular train, as the person in chargehas the schedule on knowing the symbol heading. The brief order can betransmitted and repeated in from five to eight minutes and an importantsaving of time is hence effected, especially as every moment of time isof the utmost value to trains and to the despatcher, who is thus able todevote more of his time to other trains and to other important duties inconnection with the movement of trains on his division. Four to sixschedule orders can thus be reduced to twenty-five words each, resultingin the saving of from two toA three hours of the despatchers time withmore prompt movement of the t-rains and less liability of errors.Regular trains when delayed more than twenty minutes, could also loeinstructed to'use the time of a designated symbol, which being a maximumrate of speed for such class train, would admit of its making up itslost time without waiting for specific, detailed instructions from thedespatcher from time to time, and station to station, by means ofnumerous runlate, wait or meet orders for the protection and guidance ofopposing'trains, as its running time would be deiinitely'fixed in theschedule by the one order to all concerned that such regular train wasrunning on the time of a stated symbol.

In case an extra or a regular train should be unable to make the symboltime designated, it could be directed to run on a slower symbol, or asmany minutes or hours late on such symbol time as the case or conditionsrequired. 'The right to use the symbol time could be given over any partof the division, or terminated at any time by the despatcher. Severalsections of a regular or extra train could loe run on the same symbol.The new method would be in a measure, self-regulating and would increasethe value and importance of the timetable, always more safe and reliablethan special orders, and would reduce the liability of errors due tolost or blurred, soiled or torn carbon copies of orders, sometimes badlywritten on thin tissue paper for delivery to several trains, from oneoriginal copy.

A railroad rule of long standing, in genera-l use, makes it a cardinaloffence for "a trainman orl engineman in charge of a train or engine,and responsible for its movements, to occupy the main lme of a road,

without a copy of the printed official timetable inA his possession andconveniently at hand for ready reference. Therefore, the use ofthesymbol time asstated would be sufficient notice and protection forall concerned, by a simple reference to the timetable and the plainlyprinted symbol figures of the designated symbol..

No train will move under any symbol unless so directed by train order.Any regular train or its sections, or an extra train may move over theentire division or over any part of the division under any symbol, if soinstructed by train order. Regular trains, moving under symbols, unlessotherwise instructed by train order, retain their timetable rights.Extra trains moving under symbols, unless otherwise instructed, retaintheir rights. Extra trains moving under symbols have only such rights asare conferred by train orders. All symbols on previous timetables, andall trains regular and extra, moving on the old timetable, expire vviththe change of timetable, and all trains moving on the old timetablesymbol must have proper instruct-ions before moving on the new timetablesymbols. With the change of timetable,- regular trains that were movingunder old symbols will regain their time schedules, or regular time, onthe new table, only, extra trains running on previous timetable symbolsretain their running orders and such rights as were conferred by trainorder, but drop their old symbol schedules. Symbol running time may beprovided to cover the twenty-four hour period for all trains in thetimetable.

The maximum speed, or symbol figures, may be printed in red, or ink ofsome other color than black, to distinguish such symbol figures from theblack figures in the column denoting the schedule time of regulartrains. These maximum figures should be printed preferably in theofficial employees timetable, as shown in the accompanying diagram (Fig.l), in parallel columns with figures for regular trains, or they may beprinted on a separate page of the timetable, or in a supplementarysymbol schedule, if for any reason the latter is considered desirable.These maximum speed rates may be determined by a board of expertsselected by thesuperintendent or other division staff official,preferably lselecting one man from the track department, one from themechanical depart-ment, one from the train service and one from thedespatchers staff. They should jointly estimate and compute the besttime possible for trains to make under average conditions, according toclass.

Symbol letters A, B, C, etc., or figures may be used to designate themaximum speed rates in the' table. Another name than yspeed rates. Bythis symbol syst-em and timetable, trains once started from terminals onproper authority on symbol time, could proceed to their destination, orsymbol limitswithout further orders, the same as regular trains do nowwhen on time, or in case of interruption of wire service.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

An employees train time card comprising, in addition to the usualtimetable ratings of regular trains, graduated scales of maximum speedrates in suitably designated series adapted to be readily and speciallyapplied to regular and extra trains by notice, and wherein the timebetween any two stations is less than that between the correspondingstations of the usual timetable ratings, whereby all trains will thus begiven timetable rating and all special schedule despatching done awaywith.

In testimony whereof I have signed by name to this specilication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD JUDGE HARDY.

Witnesses:

J. D. BisHor, MARTIN J. HIGLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

